Target continues to expand its solar power presence in Arizona with the installation of the company’s largest completed solar rooftop array at the distribution center in Phoenix, in partnership with SoCore.
The energy produced from the solar installations will equate to just under 3,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy each year. The system will provide 30% of the distribution center’s energy use for the year. Travelers flying in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport from the West can catch a glimpse of Target’s iconic bullseye logo, with the array located in close proximity to the airport.
This new array is one of 13 completed rooftop solar projects in Arizona, totaling 7 MWh, with plans to install over 10 more on local Arizona store rooftops in 2017.It is the third largest solar project in the Salt River Project (SRP) territory. It joins other Target solar sites in Tucson (4 stores), Surprise, Peoria, Mesa, Sierra Vista, Glendale (2 stores) and Phoenix (2 sites).
The Arizona solar installations are part of Target’s goal to have 500 stores with rooftop solar panels by 2020, with over 350 installed projects completed already.
Target is increasingly meeting a larger portion of its energy needs with solar power. In fact, Target installed more megawatts of rooftop solar in 2016 than any other U.S. retailer, and in 2016, the company was named the No. 1 U.S. Corporate Solar Installer by Solar Energy Industries Association.
Additionally, Target is committed to expanding its use of sustainable energy for its buildings, with the company also investing in wind energy partnerships. Target was also named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the last two years in a row, the highest honor from the Environmental Protection Agency for energy-efficient companies. Today, 76 percent of Target’s buildings are ENERGY STAR certified—more than any other retailer—which means all those buildings meet strict guidelines for energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Says John Leisen, vice president, Properties, Target, “We’re excited that our distribution center in Phoneix will feature Target’s largest solar array installation with the iconic bullseye logo for all the sky to see. Target is committed to enriching the communities we serve, and operating energy-efficient and sustainable buildings is one way we are following through on that pledge in Arizona.”
“We are honored to have worked with Target over a number of years to deliver low-carbon, reliable solar energy to many of their locations across the U.S.” says Robert Scheuermann, president, SoCore Energy. “The latest additions in Arizona are particularly exciting, as they are not only some of the largest installations to date, but the design of the ‘Bullseye’ roof-top solar panels is unique (and fun), and clearly reflects the importance of renewable energy to Target and delivers reliable, cost effective energy to the site every day.”
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